US20110004535A1 - Method and Apparatus For Listing Goods For Sale - Google Patents
Method and Apparatus For Listing Goods For SaleDownload PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20110004535A1 US20110004535A1US12/881,857US88185710AUS2011004535A1US 20110004535 A1US20110004535 A1US 20110004535A1US 88185710 AUS88185710 AUS 88185710AUS 2011004535 A1US2011004535 A1US 2011004535A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- good
- seller
- identification code
- product identification
- sale
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Images
Classifications
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q30/00—Commerce
- G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q30/0601—Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q30/00—Commerce
- G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q30/00—Commerce
- G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q30/00—Commerce
- G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q30/0601—Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q30/0623—Electronic shopping [e-shopping] by investigating goods or services
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q30/00—Commerce
- G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q30/0601—Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q30/0623—Electronic shopping [e-shopping] by investigating goods or services
- G06Q30/0625—Electronic shopping [e-shopping] by investigating goods or services by formulating product or service queries, e.g. using keywords or predefined options
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q30/00—Commerce
- G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q30/0601—Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q30/0633—Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q30/00—Commerce
- G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q30/0601—Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q30/0641—Electronic shopping [e-shopping] utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q30/00—Commerce
- G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q30/0601—Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q30/0641—Electronic shopping [e-shopping] utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping
- G06Q30/0643—Electronic shopping [e-shopping] utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping graphically representing goods, e.g. 3D product representation
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q50/00—Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism
- G06Q50/10—Services
- G06Q50/18—Legal services
- G06Q50/188—Electronic negotiation
Definitions
- This inventionrelates generally to the field of sales of goods and particularly to a method and apparatus for using a telephone to list goods for sale in electronic commerce applications.
- ID codeAlmost all durable goods are readily identifiable by a standard product identification code (“ID code ”) that uniquely identifies the good, particularly those that are mass produced.
- ID codemay be a human readable Universal Product Code (“UPC”), a thirteen digit ID code that is widely used to readily identify the good.
- UPChuman readable Universal Product Code
- the ID codemay be a human readable ten-digit International Standard Book Number (“ISBN”).
- ISBNInternational Standard Book Number
- Other itemsare more readily identified by a manufacturer or brand name and a model number, as for baseball cards and consumer electronics, e.g., a Sony® KV-3620 television. Some goods may be identifiable by more than one type of ID code.
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,317discloses a method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods, particularly, used durable goods, by independent parties.
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,317discloses a method for pricing such goods for sale which exploits the fungible and readily identifiable nature of such goods, e.g., by allowing a seller to list a good for sale by identifying it by a product identification code that is affixed to the good and/or its packaging.
- Such a methodis particularly convenient for sellers of a single item or items which may be easily transported to a computer station so that the seller may read the product identification code from the item and use the computer to enter the product identification code and list the good for sale.
- the goodmay be listed for sale by using the computer to transmit the product identification code and related information to the marketplace, e.g., website.
- the product identification code and/or related informationmay be transmitted to the entity controlling the marketplace, referred to herein as the marketeer.
- such a methodis inadequate for items stored in locations remote from a computer and are not easily transported, e.g., for large items or items stored in large quantities.
- Telephone based interfaces for interacting with websitesare known.
- Tellme Networks, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif.URL http://www.tellme.com
- Audium Corp.(formerly Phone2Networks, Inc) of New York, N.Y. has developed interfaces for using a telephone, rather than a computer, to interact with a website and/or the Internet.
- Audium Corp.offers services including Phone2Bid to track and bid on an online auction, Phone2Compare (formerly Phone2Books) to get the real time prices from online vendors, and Phone2Quotes to get custom stock portfolio updates. Information regarding these services was available on the World Wide Web at the time of filing of this application at URL http://wwvv.audiumcorp.com/products/
- FIG. 1is a flow diagram of an exemplary transaction in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, shown from a seller's perspective;
- FIG. 2is a flow diagram of the exemplary transaction of FIG. 1 , shown from a marketeer's perspective;
- FIG. 3is a flow diagram of an exemplary transaction in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention, shown from a marketeer's perspective;
- FIG. 4is a block diagram of a marketeer controller in accordance with the present invention.
- Websites providing a computer-based, i.e., Web, interface for listing goods for sale on a websiteare known. Examples of such websites include a marketplace accessible via the Internet at URL http://www.half.com maintained by Half.com Inc. of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., and an auction-based website accessible via the Internet at URL http://www.ebay.com maintained by eBay Inc. of San Jose, Calif.
- the present inventionprovides a method for listing goods for sale on a website using a telephone, such as a cordless or cellular telephone.
- Information that could be communicated between the seller and the marketeer using a Web-based interfaceis communicated to the marketeer via telephone, which makes it easier for the seller to provide such information from locations in which a computer for accessing the Web-based interface is not available.
- a wireless telephonecould be used in an attic of a garage where goods are stored but where no computer is available for accessing a Web-based interface.
- FIG. 1is a flow diagram of an exemplary transaction in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, shown from a seller's perspective.
- the sellerfirst transmits via a telephone information identifying the seller to the marketeer, as shown at step 10 .
- the sellermay do so affirmatively, for example, by dialing a designated telephone number of the marketeer using a telephone and, when prompted to do so, depressing the keys of the telephone in a sequence corresponding to an alphanumeric sequence of a seller's identification code, account code and/or personal identification number (PIN), e.g. as assigned by the marketeer and/or as previously selected by the seller.
- PINpersonal identification number
- alphanumeric sequencerefers to a sequence including letters, numbers, and/or other symbols.
- the depression of the keyscauses the telephone to generate a series of tones, i.e., pulses for a pushbutton rotary phone, or dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones for a touch tone telephone, as is well known in the art.
- DTMFdual-tone multi-frequency
- These tonesare recognizable by the marketeer's equipment, which translates the tones into a seller identification code, which is recognizable by the marketeer to identify the seller or an account of the seller or an account to be used by the seller.
- the seller identification codemay be assigned by the marketeer or selected by the seller.
- Equipment for recognizing such tonesare well known in the art.
- the sellermay transmit such information passively.
- the telephone number of the telephone used by the sellermay be recognized using a caller identification technique function, as is well known in the art, and that telephone number may be used to identify the seller.
- This informationmay be used by the marketeer to identify an account and/or other seller information previously provided to the marketeer, e.g., the seller's name, address, etc.
- the sellertransmits via the telephone information identifying the good to be offered for sale, as shown at step 15 .
- the sellermay provide such information by using the telephone's keys to navigate through a voice prompt system.
- the sellermay be provided with voice prompts to assist the seller to identify his good, e.g., “Press 1 for books, 2 for music, 3 for videos . . . ”, etc.
- Voice-prompt telephone systemsare well known in the art.
- the selleris instructed to depress the keys of a telephone to provide a standard identification code which uniquely identifies the good, such as a UPC code or ISBN number.
- the sellermay speak letters and/or numbers of the identification code.
- the marketeermay use equipment having speech recognition software for recognizing the seller's speech and translating it into electronic data.
- the sellertransmits via the telephone information relating to a sale price for the seller's good, as shown at step 20 .
- the sellermay use the telephone's keys to select a sale price from a menu of sale-prices, e.g., “Press 1 for $5, 2 for $10 . . . ”, etc.
- the sellermay use the telephone's keys to enter a sale price for the seller's good, e.g., $7 by pressing the 7 key.
- the selleris also provided opportunities, during the same and/or subsequent calling sessions, to revoke and/or modify the listing of the good, e.g., the condition, the selling price, etc.
- an independent sellermay use a telephone to list the seller's good for sale on the marketeer's website.
- FIG. 2is a flow diagram of the exemplary transaction of FIG. 1 , shown from a marketeer's perspective.
- the marketeerfirst receives via a telephone information identifying a seller, as shown at step 30 and described above.
- Information identifying the seller's goodis then received via the telephone, as shown at step 35 and described above.
- the marketeerthen receives information relating to a sale price for the seller's good, as shown at step 40 .
- Such informationmay include a price set by the seller, or information for determining a price recommended or set by the marketeer.
- the marketeerpresents the seller's good for sale on a website, e.g. the marketeer's website, using the information provided by the seller.
- a websitee.g. the marketeer's website
- the marketeermay add the information provided by the seller to its database of goods for sale.
- the goodneed not be displayed on the website. Rather, if a buyer later wishes to buy the good and makes an inquiry to the marketeer, the marketeer provides the potential buyer with the information provided by the seller and/or other information about the seller's good which the marketeer may retrieve from a database of information using the information provided by the seller, e.g., cover art, descriptions, title, author, reviews, etc. for a book identified by the seller, or cover art, description, title, artist, song list, etc. for a music compact disc identified by the seller.
- FIG. 3is a flow diagram of an exemplary transaction in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention, shown from a marketeer's perspective.
- the marketeerfirst receives a telephone call from the seller, as shown at step 50 .
- the marketeerrecognizes a telephone number of the telephone used by the seller and references a database of seller information to determine an identity of the seller associated with the telephone number, as shown at step 55 .
- the selleris prompted to enter a personal identification number (PIN) to verify that the seller has permission to use the account identified.
- PINpersonal identification number
- the marketeerpreferably provides a message prompting the seller to enter a standard product identification code identifying the good, such as a UPC or ISBN code using the keys of the seller's telephone.
- the sellerthen provides such information by depressing an appropriate sequence of keys of the telephone and the marketeer receives such information, as shown at step 60 .
- the marketeeralso provides a message prompting the seller to transmit information relating to a characteristic of the good, e.g., those characteristics that are specific to the seller's good and cannot be discerned from the standard product identification code.
- the characteristicmay be a condition of the good, e.g., that the good is in new, very good, fair or poor condition.
- the sellerprovides such information by depressing appropriate telephone keys, e.g., “Press 1 for a good in “like new” condition, press 2 for a good in “very good” condition . . . ”, etc. and the marketeer receives such information, as shown at step 65 .
- the marketeeruses the product identification code to retrieve price information for a comparable good, e.g., a new good, from a database of price information, as shown at step 70 .
- the marketeeruses the characteristic information provided in step 65 to calculate a recommended price for the seller's good, e.g., a used good in “like new” condition may be priced at a discount of 50% from the price for a comparable new good.
- the marketeermay also specify a maximum allowable price using a marketeer-specified method, e.g., no more than half of a manufacturer's suggested retail price of a similar, new good.
- the marketeerthen provides the recommended sale price to the seller, e.g., by a voice message transmitted via the seller's telephone, as shown at step 75 .
- the selleris presented with options to select the recommended sale price by depressing a key to confirm, or to alternatively use the telephone's keys to enter a selected sale price, as shown at step 80 .
- the seller's identity, the product identification code for the seller's good, and related characteristic and/or price informationis stored by the marketeer and the good is added to the marketeer's virtual inventory of goods for sale.
- the inventoryis “virtual” in that the marketeer need not take possession of the good to have it in its inventory.
- the identification, or “listing”, of the seller's good in the marketeer's database of sale itemsis sufficient to place the good in the marketeer's virtual inventory. In this manner, a buyer may find the good when browsing the marketeer's website.
- the product identification codemay be used to retrieve information relating to the good from a database of information, e.g., cover art, critics or buyers' reviews of a book, a song list for a compact disk, etc., as shown at step 85 and discussed above.
- This informationmay be displayed on the marketeer's website to present the good for sale, as shown at step 90 , e.g., after a buyer inquires about the good.
- a buyermay browse the website, search for a book by author, and once the book is found by the marketeer and selected by the buyer, the product identification code for the book is checked against the marketeer's virtual inventory, the seller's listing of the book is found, and the cover art and book review from the database of related information is displayed along with the seller-provided condition of the good and selected sale price.
- the seller's goodis presented for sale on the marketeer's website.
- the information transmitted by the seller and received by the marketeermay advantageously be received by automated systems, e.g., computers, i.e., Web servers, in real time.
- automated systemse.g., computers, i.e., Web servers
- the marketeer's websiteis updated and the seller's good is presented for sale, in real time, i.e., almost instantaneously.
- sellersmay list goods for sale on a website without the need for a computer-based interface to list good for sale.
- the methodtherefore provides sellers with an opportunity to list goods for sale using a wireless telephone, e.g., from a location where a computer for accessing a website is not available, such as a warehouse, basement, attic, garage, or other location.
- FIG. 4is a block diagram of a marketeer controller 100 in accordance with the present invention.
- the marketeer controllerincludes a central processing unit (“CPU”) 102 , random access memory (“RAM”) 104 , read only memory (“ROM”) 106 , and a communications port (“COMM PORT”) 108 connected to a network interface device 110 for communicating over a communications network.
- the marketeer controller 100also includes a storage memory including a storage device 112 for storing data including a first program a first program for receiving via a telephone information relating to a seller's good, a second program for storing electronic data relating to a seller's good, and a third program for presenting the seller's good for sale on a website.
- the marketeer controllermay optionally include a video driver (not shown) and may optionally be connected to a video monitor (not shown) and or an input device (not shown), such as a mouse or keyboard.
- the information received by said the programis configured to recognize a series of tones generated by depression of keys of a telephone.
- the marketeer controllerincludes a fourth program for recognizing speech in embodiments in which the information received by the first program is a spoken voice signal of the seller.
- the marketeer controllermay include a fifth program for retrieving information relating to the good from a database. In such an embodiment, the information retrieved by the fifth program may be used by the third program to present the seller's good for sale on the website.
Landscapes
- Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
- Finance (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Strategic Management (AREA)
- Marketing (AREA)
- Economics (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Development Economics (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Tourism & Hospitality (AREA)
- Game Theory and Decision Science (AREA)
- Technology Law (AREA)
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Human Resources & Organizations (AREA)
- Primary Health Care (AREA)
- Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/060,636 filed Apr. 1, 2008, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/935,287 filed Aug. 22, 2001 and is now U.S. Pat. No. 7,370,006, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/427,958 filed Oct. 27, 1999 and is now U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,317, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/313,615 filed Aug. 20, 2001; which applications are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference.
- This invention relates generally to the field of sales of goods and particularly to a method and apparatus for using a telephone to list goods for sale in electronic commerce applications.
- The industrial age has given rise to a global economy of factories engaged in mass production of various goods. An enormous amount of commerce is transacted in the buying and selling of such goods. While some such goods lose their value with use, e.g., food products, many such goods retain a substantial portion of their value even after use or ownership by another. Such goods are referred to herein as “durable”. A considerable amount of commerce is transacted in the buying and selling of durable goods, particularly used durable goods.
- Almost all durable goods are readily identifiable by a standard product identification code (“ID code ”) that uniquely identifies the good, particularly those that are mass produced. In the case of computer software, music cassettes or compact discs, videocassettes and digital video discs, the ID code may be a human readable Universal Product Code (“UPC”), a thirteen digit ID code that is widely used to readily identify the good. In the case of books, magazines or other publications, the ID code may be a human readable ten-digit International Standard Book Number (“ISBN”). Other items are more readily identified by a manufacturer or brand name and a model number, as for baseball cards and consumer electronics, e.g., a Sony® KV-3620 television. Some goods may be identifiable by more than one type of ID code.
- U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,317, discloses a method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods, particularly, used durable goods, by independent parties. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,317, discloses a method for pricing such goods for sale which exploits the fungible and readily identifiable nature of such goods, e.g., by allowing a seller to list a good for sale by identifying it by a product identification code that is affixed to the good and/or its packaging.
- Such a method is particularly convenient for sellers of a single item or items which may be easily transported to a computer station so that the seller may read the product identification code from the item and use the computer to enter the product identification code and list the good for sale. The good may be listed for sale by using the computer to transmit the product identification code and related information to the marketplace, e.g., website. Alternatively, the product identification code and/or related information may be transmitted to the entity controlling the marketplace, referred to herein as the marketeer. However, such a method is inadequate for items stored in locations remote from a computer and are not easily transported, e.g., for large items or items stored in large quantities.
- Telephone based interfaces for interacting with websites are known. For example, Tellme Networks, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif. (URL http://www.tellme.com) has developed a voice-based telephone interface by which users can use certain voice commands to hear information in selected categories that Tellme Networks, Inc. retrieves from the Web and transforms into audio signals. Audium Corp. (formerly Phone2Networks, Inc) of New York, N.Y. has developed interfaces for using a telephone, rather than a computer, to interact with a website and/or the Internet. For example, Audium Corp. offers services including Phone2Bid to track and bid on an online auction, Phone2Compare (formerly Phone2Books) to get the real time prices from online vendors, and Phone2Quotes to get custom stock portfolio updates. Information regarding these services was available on the World Wide Web at the time of filing of this application at URL http://wwvv.audiumcorp.com/products/
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary transaction in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, shown from a seller's perspective;FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the exemplary transaction ofFIG. 1 , shown from a marketeer's perspective;FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary transaction in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention, shown from a marketeer's perspective; andFIG. 4 is a block diagram of a marketeer controller in accordance with the present invention.- Websites providing a computer-based, i.e., Web, interface for listing goods for sale on a website are known. Examples of such websites include a marketplace accessible via the Internet at URL http://www.half.com maintained by Half.com Inc. of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., and an auction-based website accessible via the Internet at URL http://www.ebay.com maintained by eBay Inc. of San Jose, Calif.
- The present invention provides a method for listing goods for sale on a website using a telephone, such as a cordless or cellular telephone. Information that could be communicated between the seller and the marketeer using a Web-based interface is communicated to the marketeer via telephone, which makes it easier for the seller to provide such information from locations in which a computer for accessing the Web-based interface is not available. For example, a wireless telephone could be used in an attic of a garage where goods are stored but where no computer is available for accessing a Web-based interface.
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary transaction in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, shown from a seller's perspective. As shown inFIG. 1 , the seller first transmits via a telephone information identifying the seller to the marketeer, as shown atstep 10. The seller may do so affirmatively, for example, by dialing a designated telephone number of the marketeer using a telephone and, when prompted to do so, depressing the keys of the telephone in a sequence corresponding to an alphanumeric sequence of a seller's identification code, account code and/or personal identification number (PIN), e.g. as assigned by the marketeer and/or as previously selected by the seller. As used herein, “alphanumeric sequence” refers to a sequence including letters, numbers, and/or other symbols. The depression of the keys causes the telephone to generate a series of tones, i.e., pulses for a pushbutton rotary phone, or dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones for a touch tone telephone, as is well known in the art. These tones are recognizable by the marketeer's equipment, which translates the tones into a seller identification code, which is recognizable by the marketeer to identify the seller or an account of the seller or an account to be used by the seller. The seller identification code may be assigned by the marketeer or selected by the seller. Equipment for recognizing such tones are well known in the art. Alternatively, the seller may transmit such information passively. For example, the telephone number of the telephone used by the seller may be recognized using a caller identification technique function, as is well known in the art, and that telephone number may be used to identify the seller. This information may be used by the marketeer to identify an account and/or other seller information previously provided to the marketeer, e.g., the seller's name, address, etc.- The seller then transmits via the telephone information identifying the good to be offered for sale, as shown at
step 15. In one embodiment, the seller may provide such information by using the telephone's keys to navigate through a voice prompt system. For example, the seller may be provided with voice prompts to assist the seller to identify his good, e.g., “Press 1 for books, 2 for music, 3 for videos . . . ”, etc. Voice-prompt telephone systems are well known in the art. In the preferred embodiment, the seller is instructed to depress the keys of a telephone to provide a standard identification code which uniquely identifies the good, such as a UPC code or ISBN number. In another embodiment, the seller may speak letters and/or numbers of the identification code. In such an embodiment, the marketeer may use equipment having speech recognition software for recognizing the seller's speech and translating it into electronic data. - The seller then transmits via the telephone information relating to a sale price for the seller's good, as shown at
step 20. For example, the seller may use the telephone's keys to select a sale price from a menu of sale-prices, e.g., “Press 1 for $5, 2 for $10 . . . ”, etc. Alternatively, the seller may use the telephone's keys to enter a sale price for the seller's good, e.g., $7 by pressing the 7 key. In the preferred embodiment, the seller is also provided opportunities, during the same and/or subsequent calling sessions, to revoke and/or modify the listing of the good, e.g., the condition, the selling price, etc. Thus, an independent seller may use a telephone to list the seller's good for sale on the marketeer's website. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the exemplary transaction ofFIG. 1 , shown from a marketeer's perspective. As shown inFIG. 2 , the marketeer first receives via a telephone information identifying a seller, as shown atstep 30 and described above. Information identifying the seller's good is then received via the telephone, as shown atstep 35 and described above. The marketeer then receives information relating to a sale price for the seller's good, as shown atstep 40. Such information may include a price set by the seller, or information for determining a price recommended or set by the marketeer.- As shown in
step 45, the marketeer presents the seller's good for sale on a website, e.g. the marketeer's website, using the information provided by the seller. Methods and apparatuses for presenting a good for sale on a website are well known. For example, the marketeer may add the information provided by the seller to its database of goods for sale. The good need not be displayed on the website. Rather, if a buyer later wishes to buy the good and makes an inquiry to the marketeer, the marketeer provides the potential buyer with the information provided by the seller and/or other information about the seller's good which the marketeer may retrieve from a database of information using the information provided by the seller, e.g., cover art, descriptions, title, author, reviews, etc. for a book identified by the seller, or cover art, description, title, artist, song list, etc. for a music compact disc identified by the seller. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary transaction in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention, shown from a marketeer's perspective. In this embodiment, the marketeer first receives a telephone call from the seller, as shown atstep 50. The marketeer then recognizes a telephone number of the telephone used by the seller and references a database of seller information to determine an identity of the seller associated with the telephone number, as shown atstep 55. In one embodiment, the seller is prompted to enter a personal identification number (PIN) to verify that the seller has permission to use the account identified. The marketeer preferably provides a message prompting the seller to enter a standard product identification code identifying the good, such as a UPC or ISBN code using the keys of the seller's telephone. The seller then provides such information by depressing an appropriate sequence of keys of the telephone and the marketeer receives such information, as shown atstep 60.- The marketeer also provides a message prompting the seller to transmit information relating to a characteristic of the good, e.g., those characteristics that are specific to the seller's good and cannot be discerned from the standard product identification code. For example, the characteristic may be a condition of the good, e.g., that the good is in new, very good, fair or poor condition. The seller provides such information by depressing appropriate telephone keys, e.g., “Press 1 for a good in “like new” condition, press 2 for a good in “very good” condition . . . ”, etc. and the marketeer receives such information, as shown at
step 65. - In the embodiment of
FIG. 3 , the marketeer uses the product identification code to retrieve price information for a comparable good, e.g., a new good, from a database of price information, as shown atstep 70. The marketeer then uses the characteristic information provided instep 65 to calculate a recommended price for the seller's good, e.g., a used good in “like new” condition may be priced at a discount of 50% from the price for a comparable new good. In one embodiment, the marketeer may also specify a maximum allowable price using a marketeer-specified method, e.g., no more than half of a manufacturer's suggested retail price of a similar, new good. The marketeer then provides the recommended sale price to the seller, e.g., by a voice message transmitted via the seller's telephone, as shown atstep 75. The seller is presented with options to select the recommended sale price by depressing a key to confirm, or to alternatively use the telephone's keys to enter a selected sale price, as shown atstep 80. The seller's identity, the product identification code for the seller's good, and related characteristic and/or price information is stored by the marketeer and the good is added to the marketeer's virtual inventory of goods for sale. The inventory is “virtual” in that the marketeer need not take possession of the good to have it in its inventory. Rather, the identification, or “listing”, of the seller's good in the marketeer's database of sale items is sufficient to place the good in the marketeer's virtual inventory. In this manner, a buyer may find the good when browsing the marketeer's website. - Additionally, the product identification code may be used to retrieve information relating to the good from a database of information, e.g., cover art, critics or buyers' reviews of a book, a song list for a compact disk, etc., as shown at
step 85 and discussed above. This information may be displayed on the marketeer's website to present the good for sale, as shown atstep 90, e.g., after a buyer inquires about the good. For example, a buyer may browse the website, search for a book by author, and once the book is found by the marketeer and selected by the buyer, the product identification code for the book is checked against the marketeer's virtual inventory, the seller's listing of the book is found, and the cover art and book review from the database of related information is displayed along with the seller-provided condition of the good and selected sale price. In this alternate manner, the seller's good is presented for sale on the marketeer's website. - The information transmitted by the seller and received by the marketeer may advantageously be received by automated systems, e.g., computers, i.e., Web servers, in real time. In this manner ,the marketeer's website is updated and the seller's good is presented for sale, in real time, i.e., almost instantaneously.
- In this manner, sellers may list goods for sale on a website without the need for a computer-based interface to list good for sale. The method therefore provides sellers with an opportunity to list goods for sale using a wireless telephone, e.g., from a location where a computer for accessing a website is not available, such as a warehouse, basement, attic, garage, or other location.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of amarketeer controller 100 in accordance with the present invention. The marketeer controller includes a central processing unit (“CPU”)102, random access memory (“RAM”)104, read only memory (“ROM”)106, and a communications port (“COMM PORT”)108 connected to anetwork interface device 110 for communicating over a communications network. Themarketeer controller 100 also includes a storage memory including astorage device 112 for storing data including a first program a first program for receiving via a telephone information relating to a seller's good, a second program for storing electronic data relating to a seller's good, and a third program for presenting the seller's good for sale on a website. The marketeer controller may optionally include a video driver (not shown) and may optionally be connected to a video monitor (not shown) and or an input device (not shown), such as a mouse or keyboard.- In one embodiment, the information received by said the program is configured to recognize a series of tones generated by depression of keys of a telephone. In another embodiment, the marketeer controller includes a fourth program for recognizing speech in embodiments in which the information received by the first program is a spoken voice signal of the seller. Optionally, the marketeer controller may include a fifth program for retrieving information relating to the good from a database. In such an embodiment, the information retrieved by the fifth program may be used by the third program to present the seller's good for sale on the website.
- Having thus described particular embodiments of the invention, various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications and improvements as are made obvious by this disclosure are intended to be part of this description though not expressly stated herein, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only, and not limiting. The invention is limited only as defined in the following claims and equivalents thereto.
Claims (25)
1. A computer-implemented method to present a good of a seller, the method comprising:
receiving a product identification code via a cellular telephone, the product identification code identifying the good; and
presenting the good for sale via a network and using the product identification code.
2. The method ofclaim 1 , wherein the product identification code is a universal product code.
3. The method ofclaim 1 , wherein the product identification code is an international standard book number.
4. The method ofclaim 1 , further comprising receiving information identifying the seller of the good via the cellular telephone.
5. The method ofclaim 1 , further comprising:
recognizing a telephone number of the cellular phone; and
identifying the seller of the good using the telephone number.
6. The method ofclaim 1 , further comprising:
using the product identification code to retrieve price information for the good;
providing a recommended selling price to the seller of the good via the cellular phone; and
receiving a confirmation of the recommended selling price from the seller of the good via the cellular phone.
7. The method ofclaim 6 , wherein the presenting of the good for sale includes presenting the selling price of the good.
8. The method ofclaim 1 , further comprising:
using the product identification code to retrieve price information for the good;
providing a recommended selling price to the seller of the good via the cellular phone; and
receiving a selling price from the seller of the good via the cellular phone.
9. The method ofclaim 8 , wherein presenting the good for sale includes presenting the selling price of the good.
10. The method ofclaim 1 , further comprising using the product information code to retrieve information relating to the good from a database.
11. The method ofclaim 10 , wherein presenting the good for sale includes presenting the information relating to the good.
12. The method ofclaim 1 , wherein presenting the good for sale via a network includes presenting the good for sale on a website.
13. A system to present a good of a seller, comprising:
one or more processors;
memory; and
one or more programs stored in the memory, the one or more programs configured to:
receive a product identification code via a cellular telephone, the product identification code identifying the good; and
present the good for sale via a network and using the product identification code.
14. The system ofclaim 13 , wherein the product identification code is a universal product code.
15. The system ofclaim 13 , wherein the product identification code is an international standard book number.
16. The system ofclaim 13 , wherein the one or more programs are configured to receive information identifying the seller of the good via the cellular telephone.
17. The system ofclaim 13 , wherein the one or more programs are configured to:
recognize a telephone number of the cellular phone; and
identify the seller of the good using the telephone number.
18. The system ofclaim 13 , wherein the one or more programs are configured to:
use the product identification code to retrieve price information for the good;
provide a recommended selling price to the seller of the good via the cellular phone; and
receive a confirmation of the recommended selling price from the seller of the good via the cellular phone.
19. The system ofclaim 18 , wherein the one or more programs are configured to present the selling price of the good.
20. The system ofclaim 13 , wherein the one or more programs are configured to:
use the product identification code to retrieve price information for the good;
provide a recommended selling price to the seller of the good via the cellular phone; and
receive a selling price from the seller of the good via the cellular phone.
21. The system ofclaim 20 , wherein the one or more programs are configured to present the selling price of the good.
22. The system ofclaim 13 , wherein the one or more programs are configured to use the product information code to retrieve information relating to the good from a database.
23. The system ofclaim 22 , wherein the one or more programs are configured to present the information relating to the good.
24. The system ofclaim 13 , wherein the one or more programs are configured to present the good for sale on a website.
25. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer, the one or more programs configured to:
receive a product identification code via a cellular telephone, the product identification code identifying the good; and
present the good for sale via a network and using the product identification code.
Priority Applications (6)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US12/881,857US7983953B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2010-09-14 | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
| US13/079,236US8600826B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2011-04-04 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/014,836US20140006200A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/015,916US20140006213A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/015,928US20140006211A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/015,724US20140006212A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US09/427,958US7373317B1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 1999-10-27 | Method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties |
| US31361501P | 2001-08-20 | 2001-08-20 | |
| US09/935,287US7370006B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2001-08-22 | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
| US12/060,636US7813967B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2008-04-01 | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
| US12/881,857US7983953B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2010-09-14 | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
Related Parent Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US12/060,636ContinuationUS7813967B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2008-04-01 | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
Related Child Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US13/079,236ContinuationUS8600826B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2011-04-04 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| US20110004535A1true US20110004535A1 (en) | 2011-01-06 |
| US7983953B2 US7983953B2 (en) | 2011-07-19 |
Family
ID=38620615
Family Applications (9)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US09/935,287Expired - Fee RelatedUS7370006B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2001-08-22 | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
| US11/767,078Expired - Fee RelatedUS7953641B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2007-06-22 | Method for listing goods for sale by telephone |
| US12/060,636Expired - Fee RelatedUS7813967B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2008-04-01 | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
| US12/881,857Expired - Fee RelatedUS7983953B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2010-09-14 | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
| US13/079,236Expired - Fee RelatedUS8600826B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2011-04-04 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/015,916AbandonedUS20140006213A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/014,836AbandonedUS20140006200A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/015,724AbandonedUS20140006212A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/015,928AbandonedUS20140006211A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
Family Applications Before (3)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US09/935,287Expired - Fee RelatedUS7370006B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2001-08-22 | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
| US11/767,078Expired - Fee RelatedUS7953641B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2007-06-22 | Method for listing goods for sale by telephone |
| US12/060,636Expired - Fee RelatedUS7813967B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2008-04-01 | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
Family Applications After (5)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US13/079,236Expired - Fee RelatedUS8600826B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2011-04-04 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/015,916AbandonedUS20140006213A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/014,836AbandonedUS20140006200A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/015,724AbandonedUS20140006212A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US14/015,928AbandonedUS20140006211A1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-08-30 | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (9) | US7370006B2 (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20040138962A1 (en)* | 1999-10-27 | 2004-07-15 | Ebay Inc. | Method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties |
| US20090248447A1 (en)* | 2008-03-25 | 2009-10-01 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Report generation support system |
| US20110178898A1 (en)* | 1999-10-27 | 2011-07-21 | Ebay Inc. | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
Families Citing this family (29)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP2004504647A (en)* | 1999-11-16 | 2004-02-12 | シーエフピーエイチ， エル．エル．シー． | System and method for resale of electronic goods |
| US8819039B2 (en) | 2002-12-31 | 2014-08-26 | Ebay Inc. | Method and system to generate a listing in a network-based commerce system |
| US20060190384A1 (en)* | 2005-02-18 | 2006-08-24 | Symon Communications, Inc. | System and method for promoting internet auction listings in public & private venues |
| US8903810B2 (en)* | 2005-12-05 | 2014-12-02 | Collarity, Inc. | Techniques for ranking search results |
| US8429184B2 (en) | 2005-12-05 | 2013-04-23 | Collarity Inc. | Generation of refinement terms for search queries |
| WO2007127384A2 (en)* | 2006-04-27 | 2007-11-08 | Symon Communications, Inc. | System and method for interacting wirelessly with digital signage |
| DE112007001971A5 (en)* | 2006-09-15 | 2009-05-28 | Luk Lamellen Und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs Kg | A method of operating a hybrid powertrain for a motor vehicle |
| US8442972B2 (en) | 2006-10-11 | 2013-05-14 | Collarity, Inc. | Negative associations for search results ranking and refinement |
| US8086502B2 (en)* | 2008-03-31 | 2011-12-27 | Ebay Inc. | Method and system for mobile publication |
| US20090299957A1 (en)* | 2008-06-02 | 2009-12-03 | Nokia Corporation | Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing an audible interface to publish/subscribe services |
| US8438178B2 (en) | 2008-06-26 | 2013-05-07 | Collarity Inc. | Interactions among online digital identities |
| US8346669B2 (en)* | 2008-10-08 | 2013-01-01 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method of requesting a customized instance of an object using information contained within an existing instance |
| US7991646B2 (en) | 2008-10-30 | 2011-08-02 | Ebay Inc. | Systems and methods for marketplace listings using a camera enabled mobile device |
| US8346622B2 (en)* | 2009-02-17 | 2013-01-01 | Ebay Inc. | Connection system |
| US8825660B2 (en) | 2009-03-17 | 2014-09-02 | Ebay Inc. | Image-based indexing in a network-based marketplace |
| US8113982B2 (en)* | 2009-03-30 | 2012-02-14 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Eight speed planetary kinematic arrangement |
| US20110047055A1 (en)* | 2009-08-24 | 2011-02-24 | Maximillian Funk | Dynamic Computer-Based Information Management System |
| US8301512B2 (en) | 2009-10-23 | 2012-10-30 | Ebay Inc. | Product identification using multiple services |
| US8875038B2 (en) | 2010-01-19 | 2014-10-28 | Collarity, Inc. | Anchoring for content synchronization |
| US8533053B2 (en)* | 2011-03-10 | 2013-09-10 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Inventory pooling for multiple merchants |
| US9934522B2 (en) | 2012-03-22 | 2018-04-03 | Ebay Inc. | Systems and methods for batch- listing items stored offline on a mobile device |
| US10010926B2 (en)* | 2013-10-28 | 2018-07-03 | Ball Corporation | Method for filling, seaming, distributing and selling a beverage in a metallic container at a single location |
| US10354313B2 (en)* | 2016-04-26 | 2019-07-16 | Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc | Emphasizing communication based on past interaction related to promoted items |
| CN106446241A (en)* | 2016-10-11 | 2017-02-22 | 汤惜语 | Method and system of using ISBN bar code of book for retrieving and playing corresponding audio material |
| JP2018187298A (en) | 2017-05-11 | 2018-11-29 | グリー株式会社 | GAME PROCESSING PROGRAM, GAME PROCESSING METHOD, AND GAME PROCESSING DEVICE |
| CN109034420A (en)* | 2018-07-26 | 2018-12-18 | 广东电网有限责任公司佛山供电局 | A kind of research and development of multifunctional low-voltage distribution net equipment electronics account |
| US12067601B2 (en) | 2018-11-09 | 2024-08-20 | Honeywell International Inc. | Systems and methods for generating a digital identity of equipment on an equipment online marketplace platform |
| US11640630B2 (en) | 2018-11-09 | 2023-05-02 | Honeywell International Inc. | Systems and methods for verifying identity of a user on an equipment online marketplace platform |
| US11494832B2 (en) | 2018-11-09 | 2022-11-08 | Honeywell International Inc. | Systems and methods for securely creating a listing of equipment on an equipment online marketplace platform |
Citations (95)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4613946A (en)* | 1984-06-07 | 1986-09-23 | Forman Ernest H | Method and apparatus for generating hierarchical displays |
| US4799154A (en)* | 1984-11-23 | 1989-01-17 | National Research Development Corporation | Array processor apparatus |
| US4799156A (en)* | 1986-10-01 | 1989-01-17 | Strategic Processing Corporation | Interactive market management system |
| US4996642A (en)* | 1987-10-01 | 1991-02-26 | Neonics, Inc. | System and method for recommending items |
| US5283731A (en)* | 1992-01-19 | 1994-02-01 | Ec Corporation | Computer-based classified ad system and method |
| US5310997A (en)* | 1992-09-10 | 1994-05-10 | Tandy Corporation | Automated order and delivery system |
| US5592375A (en)* | 1994-03-11 | 1997-01-07 | Eagleview, Inc. | Computer-assisted system for interactively brokering goods or services between buyers and sellers |
| US5664111A (en)* | 1994-02-16 | 1997-09-02 | Honicorp, Inc. | Computerized, multimedia, network, real time, interactive marketing and transactional system |
| US5715402A (en)* | 1995-11-09 | 1998-02-03 | Spot Metals Online | Method and system for matching sellers and buyers of spot metals |
| US5732400A (en)* | 1995-01-04 | 1998-03-24 | Citibank N.A. | System and method for a risk-based purchase of goods |
| US5749081A (en)* | 1995-04-06 | 1998-05-05 | Firefly Network, Inc. | System and method for recommending items to a user |
| US5790426A (en)* | 1996-04-30 | 1998-08-04 | Athenium L.L.C. | Automated collaborative filtering system |
| US5790790A (en)* | 1996-10-24 | 1998-08-04 | Tumbleweed Software Corporation | Electronic document delivery system in which notification of said electronic document is sent to a recipient thereof |
| US5797127A (en)* | 1996-12-31 | 1998-08-18 | Walker Asset Management Limited Partnership | Method, apparatus, and program for pricing, selling, and exercising options to purchase airline tickets |
| US5825881A (en)* | 1996-06-28 | 1998-10-20 | Allsoft Distributing Inc. | Public network merchandising system |
| US5873069A (en)* | 1995-10-13 | 1999-02-16 | American Tv & Appliance Of Madison, Inc. | System and method for automatic updating and display of retail prices |
| US5897622A (en)* | 1996-10-16 | 1999-04-27 | Microsoft Corporation | Electronic shopping and merchandising system |
| US5918213A (en)* | 1995-12-22 | 1999-06-29 | Mci Communications Corporation | System and method for automated remote previewing and purchasing of music, video, software, and other multimedia products |
| US5950178A (en)* | 1997-07-29 | 1999-09-07 | Borgato; Sergio | Data processing system and method for facilitating transactions in diamonds |
| US5960411A (en)* | 1997-09-12 | 1999-09-28 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Method and system for placing a purchase order via a communications network |
| US6012045A (en)* | 1997-07-01 | 2000-01-04 | Barzilai; Nizan | Computer-based electronic bid, auction and sale system, and a system to teach new/non-registered customers how bidding, auction purchasing works |
| US6016475A (en)* | 1996-10-08 | 2000-01-18 | The Regents Of The University Of Minnesota | System, method, and article of manufacture for generating implicit ratings based on receiver operating curves |
| US6016504A (en)* | 1996-08-28 | 2000-01-18 | Infospace.Com, Inc. | Method and system for tracking the purchase of a product and services over the Internet |
| US6029141A (en)* | 1997-06-27 | 2000-02-22 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Internet-based customer referral system |
| US6041311A (en)* | 1995-06-30 | 2000-03-21 | Microsoft Corporation | Method and apparatus for item recommendation using automated collaborative filtering |
| US6047264A (en)* | 1996-08-08 | 2000-04-04 | Onsale, Inc. | Method for supplying automatic status updates using electronic mail |
| US6049777A (en)* | 1995-06-30 | 2000-04-11 | Microsoft Corporation | Computer-implemented collaborative filtering based method for recommending an item to a user |
| US6055513A (en)* | 1998-03-11 | 2000-04-25 | Telebuyer, Llc | Methods and apparatus for intelligent selection of goods and services in telephonic and electronic commerce |
| US6061448A (en)* | 1997-04-01 | 2000-05-09 | Tumbleweed Communications Corp. | Method and system for dynamic server document encryption |
| US6061488A (en)* | 1997-06-06 | 2000-05-09 | Auxitroc S.A. | Optical cable for transferring signals in a difficult environment |
| US6064967A (en)* | 1996-11-08 | 2000-05-16 | Speicher; Gregory J. | Internet-audiotext electronic advertising system with inventory management |
| US6064980A (en)* | 1998-03-17 | 2000-05-16 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | System and methods for collaborative recommendations |
| US6064979A (en)* | 1996-10-25 | 2000-05-16 | Ipf, Inc. | Method of and system for finding and serving consumer product related information over the internet using manufacturer identification numbers |
| US6076070A (en)* | 1998-07-23 | 2000-06-13 | Cendant Publishing, Inc. | Apparatus and method for on-line price comparison of competitor's goods and/or services over a computer network |
| US6085229A (en)* | 1998-05-14 | 2000-07-04 | Belarc, Inc. | System and method for providing client side personalization of content of web pages and the like |
| US6085176A (en)* | 1995-04-26 | 2000-07-04 | Mercexchange, Llc | Method and apparatus for using search agents to search plurality of markets for items |
| US6092049A (en)* | 1995-06-30 | 2000-07-18 | Microsoft Corporation | Method and apparatus for efficiently recommending items using automated collaborative filtering and feature-guided automated collaborative filtering |
| US6101484A (en)* | 1999-03-31 | 2000-08-08 | Mercata, Inc. | Dynamic market equilibrium management system, process and article of manufacture |
| US6101486A (en)* | 1998-04-20 | 2000-08-08 | Nortel Networks Corporation | System and method for retrieving customer information at a transaction center |
| US6108493A (en)* | 1996-10-08 | 2000-08-22 | Regents Of The University Of Minnesota | System, method, and article of manufacture for utilizing implicit ratings in collaborative filters |
| US6119101A (en)* | 1996-01-17 | 2000-09-12 | Personal Agents, Inc. | Intelligent agents for electronic commerce |
| US6119137A (en)* | 1997-01-30 | 2000-09-12 | Tumbleweed Communications Corp. | Distributed dynamic document conversion server |
| US6178408B1 (en)* | 1999-07-14 | 2001-01-23 | Recot, Inc. | Method of redeeming collectible points |
| US6192407B1 (en)* | 1996-10-24 | 2001-02-20 | Tumbleweed Communications Corp. | Private, trackable URLs for directed document delivery |
| US6243691B1 (en)* | 1996-03-29 | 2001-06-05 | Onsale, Inc. | Method and system for processing and transmitting electronic auction information |
| US6246997B1 (en)* | 1998-03-26 | 2001-06-12 | International Business Machines Corp. | Electronic commerce site with query interface |
| US6266649B1 (en)* | 1998-09-18 | 2001-07-24 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Collaborative recommendations using item-to-item similarity mappings |
| US20010021914A1 (en)* | 1998-09-18 | 2001-09-13 | Jacobi Jennifer A. | Personalized recommendations of items represented within a database |
| US20010021921A1 (en)* | 2000-03-10 | 2001-09-13 | Masayuki Kan | Customer service method and system |
| US6292786B1 (en)* | 1992-05-19 | 2001-09-18 | Incentech, Inc. | Method and system for generating incentives based on substantially real-time product purchase information |
| US6308168B1 (en)* | 1999-02-09 | 2001-10-23 | Knowledge Discovery One, Inc. | Metadata-driven data presentation module for database system |
| US20020022994A1 (en)* | 1999-04-22 | 2002-02-21 | Miller Michael Robert | System, method and article of manufacture for generating a personal web page/web site based on user-input bar code information |
| US20020026386A1 (en)* | 2000-08-17 | 2002-02-28 | Walden John C. | Personalized storage folder & associated site-within-a-site web site |
| US6356879B2 (en)* | 1998-10-09 | 2002-03-12 | International Business Machines Corporation | Content based method for product-peer filtering |
| US6370513B1 (en)* | 1997-08-08 | 2002-04-09 | Parasoft Corporation | Method and apparatus for automated selection, organization, and recommendation of items |
| US20020052873A1 (en)* | 2000-07-21 | 2002-05-02 | Joaquin Delgado | System and method for obtaining user preferences and providing user recommendations for unseen physical and information goods and services |
| US20020055890A1 (en)* | 2000-09-14 | 2002-05-09 | Foley Thomas Aquinas | Recommendation information providing method, recommendation information transmission system, recommendation information transmission apparatus and computer memory product |
| US20020062268A1 (en)* | 2000-11-20 | 2002-05-23 | Motoi Sato | Scheme for presenting recommended items through network based on access log and user preference |
| US20020065877A1 (en)* | 2000-11-30 | 2002-05-30 | John Kowtko | Methods and systems for creating and sharing customized web sites and portals |
| US6412012B1 (en)* | 1998-12-23 | 2002-06-25 | Net Perceptions, Inc. | System, method, and article of manufacture for making a compatibility-aware recommendations to a user |
| US6415269B1 (en)* | 1998-05-29 | 2002-07-02 | Bidcatcher, L.P. | Interactive remote auction bidding system |
| US6415263B1 (en)* | 1998-12-14 | 2002-07-02 | Ncr Corporation | System and methods for determining and displaying product pricing |
| US6418441B1 (en)* | 1998-03-27 | 2002-07-09 | Charles G. Call | Methods and apparatus for disseminating product information via the internet using universal product codes |
| US20020099629A1 (en)* | 2001-01-19 | 2002-07-25 | Motoi Sato | Scheme for presenting recommended items through network using client preference estimating factor information |
| US20020103692A1 (en)* | 2000-12-28 | 2002-08-01 | Rosenberg Sandra H. | Method and system for adaptive product recommendations based on multiple rating scales |
| US20020138331A1 (en)* | 2001-02-05 | 2002-09-26 | Hosea Devin F. | Method and system for web page personalization |
| US20020143660A1 (en)* | 2001-03-29 | 2002-10-03 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method and system for online shopping |
| US20020147628A1 (en)* | 2001-02-16 | 2002-10-10 | Jeffrey Specter | Method and apparatus for generating recommendations for consumer preference items |
| US20020156686A1 (en)* | 2001-02-14 | 2002-10-24 | International Business Machines Corporation | System and method for automating association of retail items to support shopping proposals |
| US20030028427A1 (en)* | 2001-08-02 | 2003-02-06 | International Business Machines Corporation | User control of electronic personal information while browsing the Web |
| US20030037041A1 (en)* | 1994-11-29 | 2003-02-20 | Pinpoint Incorporated | System for automatic determination of customized prices and promotions |
| US20030051240A1 (en)* | 2001-09-10 | 2003-03-13 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Four-way recommendation method and system including collaborative filtering |
| US20030069740A1 (en)* | 2001-10-09 | 2003-04-10 | Zeidman Robert Marc | Apparatus and method for providing history data to sellers about internet auctions and marketplaces |
| US20030084450A1 (en)* | 2001-10-25 | 2003-05-01 | Thurston Nathaniel J. | Method and system for presenting personalized television program recommendation to viewers |
| US20030093793A1 (en)* | 2001-11-13 | 2003-05-15 | Koninklijke Philips Electornics N.V. | Method and apparatus for recommending items of interest to a user based on recommendations for one or more third parties |
| US20030093331A1 (en)* | 2001-11-13 | 2003-05-15 | International Business Machines Corporation | Internet strategic brand weighting factor |
| US20030105682A1 (en)* | 1998-09-18 | 2003-06-05 | Dicker Russell A. | User interface and methods for recommending items to users |
| US20030110056A1 (en)* | 2001-10-31 | 2003-06-12 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method for rating items within a recommendation system based on additional knowledge of item relationships |
| US20030131070A1 (en)* | 2002-01-10 | 2003-07-10 | International Business Machines Corporation | Customization of information from web sites |
| US20030145326A1 (en)* | 2002-01-31 | 2003-07-31 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Subscription to TV channels/shows based on recommendation generated by a TV recommender |
| US6606607B1 (en)* | 1999-06-17 | 2003-08-12 | Mcj Ventures, Inc. | Individualized, real-time, interactive e-commerce auction |
| US6615247B1 (en)* | 1999-07-01 | 2003-09-02 | Micron Technology, Inc. | System and method for customizing requested web page based on information such as previous location visited by customer and search term used by customer |
| US6625581B1 (en)* | 1994-04-22 | 2003-09-23 | Ipf, Inc. | Method of and system for enabling the access of consumer product related information and the purchase of consumer products at points of consumer presence on the world wide web (www) at which consumer product information request (cpir) enabling servlet tags are embedded within html-encoded documents |
| US20030182249A1 (en)* | 2002-03-19 | 2003-09-25 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Method and apparatus for recommending an item of interest using a radial basis function to fuse a plurality of recommendation scores |
| US6691914B2 (en)* | 1999-01-25 | 2004-02-17 | Airclic, Inc. | Method and system for directing end user to network location of provider based on user-provided codes |
| US20040039657A1 (en)* | 2000-09-01 | 2004-02-26 | Behrens Clifford A. | Automatic recommendation of products using latent semantic indexing of content |
| US20040078214A1 (en)* | 2002-10-21 | 2004-04-22 | Speiser Leonard Robert | Product recommendation in a network-based commerce system |
| US20040143450A1 (en)* | 2000-08-14 | 2004-07-22 | Iproperty.Com., Inc. | Real estate transaction management system |
| US6772150B1 (en)* | 1999-12-10 | 2004-08-03 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Search query refinement using related search phrases |
| US6785671B1 (en)* | 1999-12-08 | 2004-08-31 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | System and method for locating web-based product offerings |
| US20050028207A1 (en)* | 1999-03-29 | 2005-02-03 | Finseth Craig A. | Method and apparatus for sharing viewing preferences |
| US20050038733A1 (en)* | 2003-07-21 | 2005-02-17 | Foster Benjamin David | Seller configurable merchandising in an electronic marketplace |
| US20050038717A1 (en)* | 2003-08-13 | 2005-02-17 | Mcqueen Clyde D. | Personalized selection and display of user-supplied content to enhance browsing of electronic catalogs |
| US6865546B1 (en)* | 2000-04-19 | 2005-03-08 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Methods and systems of assisting users in purchasing items |
| US20050055713A1 (en)* | 2003-09-09 | 2005-03-10 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Apparatus and method for sharing recommended programs using digital set-top boxes |
Family Cites Families (58)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US37255A (en)* | 1862-12-23 | Improvement in apparatus for pressing hats | ||
| US143660A (en)* | 1873-10-14 | Improvement in plows | ||
| US156686A (en)* | 1874-11-10 | Improvement in reciprocating engines | ||
| US184116A (en)* | 1876-11-07 | Improvement in fences | ||
| US93331A (en)* | 1869-08-03 | Improvement in printers rules | ||
| US3581072A (en)* | 1968-03-28 | 1971-05-25 | Frederick Nymeyer | Auction market computation system |
| GB1489572A (en) | 1974-10-18 | 1977-10-19 | Automated Real Time Investment | Communication system |
| US7693748B1 (en)* | 1991-06-03 | 2010-04-06 | Ewinwin, Inc. | Method and system for configuring a set of information including a price and volume schedule for a product |
| US5583763A (en) | 1993-09-09 | 1996-12-10 | Mni Interactive | Method and apparatus for recommending selections based on preferences in a multi-user system |
| US5845265A (en)* | 1995-04-26 | 1998-12-01 | Mercexchange, L.L.C. | Consignment nodes |
| JP3406440B2 (en)* | 1995-10-30 | 2003-05-12 | Ｓｍｋ株式会社 | Pulse modulation method, pulse modulation device, and pulse demodulation device |
| US6415264B1 (en) | 1997-07-08 | 2002-07-02 | Walker Digital, Llc | System and method for determining a posting payment amount |
| US6253188B1 (en)* | 1996-09-20 | 2001-06-26 | Thomson Newspapers, Inc. | Automated interactive classified ad system for the internet |
| US5960407A (en)* | 1996-10-08 | 1999-09-28 | Vivona; Robert G. | Automated market price analysis system |
| US5974418A (en) | 1996-10-16 | 1999-10-26 | Blinn; Arnold | Database schema independence |
| US5842199A (en)* | 1996-10-18 | 1998-11-24 | Regents Of The University Of Minnesota | System, method and article of manufacture for using receiver operating curves to evaluate predictive utility |
| JP2001512863A (en) | 1997-07-29 | 2001-08-28 | ネットアドバンテイジ・コーポレイション | Method and system for processing e-commerce transactions |
| US6782370B1 (en) | 1997-09-04 | 2004-08-24 | Cendant Publishing, Inc. | System and method for providing recommendation of goods or services based on recorded purchasing history |
| US6413946B1 (en)* | 1997-10-03 | 2002-07-02 | Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd. | Composition for treatment of diabetes and treatment of diabetes |
| US6484149B1 (en) | 1997-10-10 | 2002-11-19 | Microsoft Corporation | Systems and methods for viewing product information, and methods for generating web pages |
| US6202061B1 (en)* | 1997-10-24 | 2001-03-13 | Pictra, Inc. | Methods and apparatuses for creating a collection of media |
| US7729945B1 (en) | 1998-03-11 | 2010-06-01 | West Corporation | Systems and methods that use geographic data to intelligently select goods and services to offer in telephonic and electronic commerce |
| US6572662B2 (en) | 1998-05-15 | 2003-06-03 | International Business Machines Corporation | Dynamic customized web tours |
| US6076071A (en)* | 1998-07-06 | 2000-06-13 | Automated Business Companies | Automated synchronous product pricing and advertising system |
| US6334127B1 (en)* | 1998-07-17 | 2001-12-25 | Net Perceptions, Inc. | System, method and article of manufacture for making serendipity-weighted recommendations to a user |
| US6321221B1 (en)* | 1998-07-17 | 2001-11-20 | Net Perceptions, Inc. | System, method and article of manufacture for increasing the user value of recommendations |
| US7107226B1 (en) | 1999-01-20 | 2006-09-12 | Net32.Com, Inc. | Internet-based on-line comparison shopping system and method of interactive purchase and sale of products |
| AU2744400A (en) | 1999-01-29 | 2000-08-18 | Online Insight, Inc. | Multi-attribute searching system and method for electronic commerce applications |
| US7689469B1 (en)* | 1999-05-12 | 2010-03-30 | Ewinwin, Inc. | E-commerce volume pricing |
| US7330826B1 (en)* | 1999-07-09 | 2008-02-12 | Perfect.Com, Inc. | Method, system and business model for a buyer's auction with near perfect information using the internet |
| KR100328670B1 (en) | 1999-07-21 | 2002-03-20 | 정만원 | System For Recommending Items With Multiple Analyzing Components |
| US7644366B1 (en)* | 1999-07-30 | 2010-01-05 | Computer Associates Think, Inc. | Method and system for displaying a plurality of discrete files in a compound file |
| US6487539B1 (en) | 1999-08-06 | 2002-11-26 | International Business Machines Corporation | Semantic based collaborative filtering |
| WO2001016848A2 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2001-03-08 | Accenture Llp | System, method, and article of manufacture for electronic merchandising in an e-commerce application framework |
| US6502080B1 (en) | 1999-08-31 | 2002-12-31 | The Chase Manhattan Bank | Automatic lease residual management system |
| WO2001029726A2 (en) | 1999-10-15 | 2001-04-26 | Net Perceptions, Inc. | Shopping session application framework |
| EP1228467A2 (en) | 1999-10-26 | 2002-08-07 | Adaptive Trade, Inc. | System and method for adaptive trade specification and match-making optimization |
| US7370006B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2008-05-06 | Ebay, Inc. | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale |
| US7373317B1 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2008-05-13 | Ebay, Inc. | Method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties |
| WO2001033401A2 (en) | 1999-11-03 | 2001-05-10 | Adaptive Trade, Inc. | Electronic malls and auctions based on adaptive trade specifications |
| US6313745B1 (en) | 2000-01-06 | 2001-11-06 | Fujitsu Limited | System and method for fitting room merchandise item recognition using wireless tag |
| JP4577674B2 (en)* | 2000-03-03 | 2010-11-10 | リコーエレメックス株式会社 | Product planning and development system, product planning and development method, and computer readable recording medium recording product planning and development program |
| AU2001249180A1 (en) | 2000-03-14 | 2001-09-24 | Eastman Chemical Company | Systems and methods for providing products and services to an industry market |
| US7974875B1 (en)* | 2000-03-21 | 2011-07-05 | Aol Inc. | System and method for using voice over a telephone to access, process, and carry out transactions over the internet |
| US20010037259A1 (en) | 2000-05-11 | 2001-11-01 | Sameer Sharma | System and method for rapid ordering of business supplies |
| US20010056395A1 (en) | 2000-06-09 | 2001-12-27 | Khan Saadat H. | Internet bargaining system |
| US8032506B1 (en) | 2000-08-25 | 2011-10-04 | Andrej Gregov | User-directed product recommendations |
| US6980966B1 (en) | 2000-10-05 | 2005-12-27 | I2 Technologies Us, Inc. | Guided buying decision support in an electronic marketplace environment |
| US7809601B2 (en) | 2000-10-18 | 2010-10-05 | Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies | Intelligent performance-based product recommendation system |
| US20020174428A1 (en) | 2001-03-28 | 2002-11-21 | Philips Electronics North America Corp. | Method and apparatus for generating recommendations for a plurality of users |
| US20020198882A1 (en) | 2001-03-29 | 2002-12-26 | Linden Gregory D. | Content personalization based on actions performed during a current browsing session |
| US20020184116A1 (en) | 2001-04-04 | 2002-12-05 | Iuniverse.Com | Data structure for holding product information |
| US7499948B2 (en) | 2001-04-16 | 2009-03-03 | Bea Systems, Inc. | System and method for web-based personalization and ecommerce management |
| US20030208399A1 (en) | 2002-05-03 | 2003-11-06 | Jayanta Basak | Personalized product recommendation |
| US20030233655A1 (en) | 2002-06-18 | 2003-12-18 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Method and apparatus for an adaptive stereotypical profile for recommending items representing a user's interests |
| AU2003279992A1 (en) | 2002-10-21 | 2004-05-13 | Ebay Inc. | Listing recommendation in a network-based commerce system |
| CA2433375A1 (en) | 2003-06-25 | 2004-12-25 | Ibm Canada Limited - Ibm Canada Limitee | System and method for presenting personalized content on electronic commerce web pages |
| US7740172B1 (en)* | 2006-11-28 | 2010-06-22 | Amazon Technologies, Inc. | Methods and systems for managing price and inventory adjustments |
- 2001
- 2001-08-22USUS09/935,287patent/US7370006B2/ennot_activeExpired - Fee Related
- 2007
- 2007-06-22USUS11/767,078patent/US7953641B2/ennot_activeExpired - Fee Related
- 2008
- 2008-04-01USUS12/060,636patent/US7813967B2/ennot_activeExpired - Fee Related
- 2010
- 2010-09-14USUS12/881,857patent/US7983953B2/ennot_activeExpired - Fee Related
- 2011
- 2011-04-04USUS13/079,236patent/US8600826B2/ennot_activeExpired - Fee Related
- 2013
- 2013-08-30USUS14/015,916patent/US20140006213A1/ennot_activeAbandoned
- 2013-08-30USUS14/014,836patent/US20140006200A1/ennot_activeAbandoned
- 2013-08-30USUS14/015,724patent/US20140006212A1/ennot_activeAbandoned
- 2013-08-30USUS14/015,928patent/US20140006211A1/ennot_activeAbandoned
Patent Citations (99)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4613946A (en)* | 1984-06-07 | 1986-09-23 | Forman Ernest H | Method and apparatus for generating hierarchical displays |
| US4799154A (en)* | 1984-11-23 | 1989-01-17 | National Research Development Corporation | Array processor apparatus |
| US4799156A (en)* | 1986-10-01 | 1989-01-17 | Strategic Processing Corporation | Interactive market management system |
| US4996642A (en)* | 1987-10-01 | 1991-02-26 | Neonics, Inc. | System and method for recommending items |
| US5283731A (en)* | 1992-01-19 | 1994-02-01 | Ec Corporation | Computer-based classified ad system and method |
| US6292786B1 (en)* | 1992-05-19 | 2001-09-18 | Incentech, Inc. | Method and system for generating incentives based on substantially real-time product purchase information |
| US5310997A (en)* | 1992-09-10 | 1994-05-10 | Tandy Corporation | Automated order and delivery system |
| US5664111A (en)* | 1994-02-16 | 1997-09-02 | Honicorp, Inc. | Computerized, multimedia, network, real time, interactive marketing and transactional system |
| US5592375A (en)* | 1994-03-11 | 1997-01-07 | Eagleview, Inc. | Computer-assisted system for interactively brokering goods or services between buyers and sellers |
| US6625581B1 (en)* | 1994-04-22 | 2003-09-23 | Ipf, Inc. | Method of and system for enabling the access of consumer product related information and the purchase of consumer products at points of consumer presence on the world wide web (www) at which consumer product information request (cpir) enabling servlet tags are embedded within html-encoded documents |
| US20030037041A1 (en)* | 1994-11-29 | 2003-02-20 | Pinpoint Incorporated | System for automatic determination of customized prices and promotions |
| US5732400A (en)* | 1995-01-04 | 1998-03-24 | Citibank N.A. | System and method for a risk-based purchase of goods |
| US5749081A (en)* | 1995-04-06 | 1998-05-05 | Firefly Network, Inc. | System and method for recommending items to a user |
| US6202051B1 (en)* | 1995-04-26 | 2001-03-13 | Merc Exchange Llc | Facilitating internet commerce through internetworked auctions |
| US6085176A (en)* | 1995-04-26 | 2000-07-04 | Mercexchange, Llc | Method and apparatus for using search agents to search plurality of markets for items |
| US6049777A (en)* | 1995-06-30 | 2000-04-11 | Microsoft Corporation | Computer-implemented collaborative filtering based method for recommending an item to a user |
| US6092049A (en)* | 1995-06-30 | 2000-07-18 | Microsoft Corporation | Method and apparatus for efficiently recommending items using automated collaborative filtering and feature-guided automated collaborative filtering |
| US6041311A (en)* | 1995-06-30 | 2000-03-21 | Microsoft Corporation | Method and apparatus for item recommendation using automated collaborative filtering |
| US5873069A (en)* | 1995-10-13 | 1999-02-16 | American Tv & Appliance Of Madison, Inc. | System and method for automatic updating and display of retail prices |
| US5715402A (en)* | 1995-11-09 | 1998-02-03 | Spot Metals Online | Method and system for matching sellers and buyers of spot metals |
| US5918213A (en)* | 1995-12-22 | 1999-06-29 | Mci Communications Corporation | System and method for automated remote previewing and purchasing of music, video, software, and other multimedia products |
| US6119101A (en)* | 1996-01-17 | 2000-09-12 | Personal Agents, Inc. | Intelligent agents for electronic commerce |
| US6243691B1 (en)* | 1996-03-29 | 2001-06-05 | Onsale, Inc. | Method and system for processing and transmitting electronic auction information |
| US5790426A (en)* | 1996-04-30 | 1998-08-04 | Athenium L.L.C. | Automated collaborative filtering system |
| US5825881A (en)* | 1996-06-28 | 1998-10-20 | Allsoft Distributing Inc. | Public network merchandising system |
| US6047264A (en)* | 1996-08-08 | 2000-04-04 | Onsale, Inc. | Method for supplying automatic status updates using electronic mail |
| US6016504A (en)* | 1996-08-28 | 2000-01-18 | Infospace.Com, Inc. | Method and system for tracking the purchase of a product and services over the Internet |
| US6016475A (en)* | 1996-10-08 | 2000-01-18 | The Regents Of The University Of Minnesota | System, method, and article of manufacture for generating implicit ratings based on receiver operating curves |
| US6108493A (en)* | 1996-10-08 | 2000-08-22 | Regents Of The University Of Minnesota | System, method, and article of manufacture for utilizing implicit ratings in collaborative filters |
| US5897622A (en)* | 1996-10-16 | 1999-04-27 | Microsoft Corporation | Electronic shopping and merchandising system |
| US5790790A (en)* | 1996-10-24 | 1998-08-04 | Tumbleweed Software Corporation | Electronic document delivery system in which notification of said electronic document is sent to a recipient thereof |
| US6192407B1 (en)* | 1996-10-24 | 2001-02-20 | Tumbleweed Communications Corp. | Private, trackable URLs for directed document delivery |
| US6064979A (en)* | 1996-10-25 | 2000-05-16 | Ipf, Inc. | Method of and system for finding and serving consumer product related information over the internet using manufacturer identification numbers |
| US6064967A (en)* | 1996-11-08 | 2000-05-16 | Speicher; Gregory J. | Internet-audiotext electronic advertising system with inventory management |
| US5797127A (en)* | 1996-12-31 | 1998-08-18 | Walker Asset Management Limited Partnership | Method, apparatus, and program for pricing, selling, and exercising options to purchase airline tickets |
| US6119137A (en)* | 1997-01-30 | 2000-09-12 | Tumbleweed Communications Corp. | Distributed dynamic document conversion server |
| US6061448A (en)* | 1997-04-01 | 2000-05-09 | Tumbleweed Communications Corp. | Method and system for dynamic server document encryption |
| US6061488A (en)* | 1997-06-06 | 2000-05-09 | Auxitroc S.A. | Optical cable for transferring signals in a difficult environment |
| US6029141A (en)* | 1997-06-27 | 2000-02-22 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Internet-based customer referral system |
| US6012045A (en)* | 1997-07-01 | 2000-01-04 | Barzilai; Nizan | Computer-based electronic bid, auction and sale system, and a system to teach new/non-registered customers how bidding, auction purchasing works |
| US5950178A (en)* | 1997-07-29 | 1999-09-07 | Borgato; Sergio | Data processing system and method for facilitating transactions in diamonds |
| US6370513B1 (en)* | 1997-08-08 | 2002-04-09 | Parasoft Corporation | Method and apparatus for automated selection, organization, and recommendation of items |
| US5960411A (en)* | 1997-09-12 | 1999-09-28 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Method and system for placing a purchase order via a communications network |
| US6055513A (en)* | 1998-03-11 | 2000-04-25 | Telebuyer, Llc | Methods and apparatus for intelligent selection of goods and services in telephonic and electronic commerce |
| US6064980A (en)* | 1998-03-17 | 2000-05-16 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | System and methods for collaborative recommendations |
| US6246997B1 (en)* | 1998-03-26 | 2001-06-12 | International Business Machines Corp. | Electronic commerce site with query interface |
| US6418441B1 (en)* | 1998-03-27 | 2002-07-09 | Charles G. Call | Methods and apparatus for disseminating product information via the internet using universal product codes |
| US6101486A (en)* | 1998-04-20 | 2000-08-08 | Nortel Networks Corporation | System and method for retrieving customer information at a transaction center |
| US6085229A (en)* | 1998-05-14 | 2000-07-04 | Belarc, Inc. | System and method for providing client side personalization of content of web pages and the like |
| US6415269B1 (en)* | 1998-05-29 | 2002-07-02 | Bidcatcher, L.P. | Interactive remote auction bidding system |
| US6076070A (en)* | 1998-07-23 | 2000-06-13 | Cendant Publishing, Inc. | Apparatus and method for on-line price comparison of competitor's goods and/or services over a computer network |
| US20010021914A1 (en)* | 1998-09-18 | 2001-09-13 | Jacobi Jennifer A. | Personalized recommendations of items represented within a database |
| US6853982B2 (en)* | 1998-09-18 | 2005-02-08 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Content personalization based on actions performed during a current browsing session |
| US20030105682A1 (en)* | 1998-09-18 | 2003-06-05 | Dicker Russell A. | User interface and methods for recommending items to users |
| US6266649B1 (en)* | 1998-09-18 | 2001-07-24 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Collaborative recommendations using item-to-item similarity mappings |
| US6356879B2 (en)* | 1998-10-09 | 2002-03-12 | International Business Machines Corporation | Content based method for product-peer filtering |
| US6415263B1 (en)* | 1998-12-14 | 2002-07-02 | Ncr Corporation | System and methods for determining and displaying product pricing |
| US6412012B1 (en)* | 1998-12-23 | 2002-06-25 | Net Perceptions, Inc. | System, method, and article of manufacture for making a compatibility-aware recommendations to a user |
| US6691914B2 (en)* | 1999-01-25 | 2004-02-17 | Airclic, Inc. | Method and system for directing end user to network location of provider based on user-provided codes |
| US6308168B1 (en)* | 1999-02-09 | 2001-10-23 | Knowledge Discovery One, Inc. | Metadata-driven data presentation module for database system |
| US20050028207A1 (en)* | 1999-03-29 | 2005-02-03 | Finseth Craig A. | Method and apparatus for sharing viewing preferences |
| US6101484A (en)* | 1999-03-31 | 2000-08-08 | Mercata, Inc. | Dynamic market equilibrium management system, process and article of manufacture |
| US20020022994A1 (en)* | 1999-04-22 | 2002-02-21 | Miller Michael Robert | System, method and article of manufacture for generating a personal web page/web site based on user-input bar code information |
| US6606607B1 (en)* | 1999-06-17 | 2003-08-12 | Mcj Ventures, Inc. | Individualized, real-time, interactive e-commerce auction |
| US6615247B1 (en)* | 1999-07-01 | 2003-09-02 | Micron Technology, Inc. | System and method for customizing requested web page based on information such as previous location visited by customer and search term used by customer |
| US6178408B1 (en)* | 1999-07-14 | 2001-01-23 | Recot, Inc. | Method of redeeming collectible points |
| US6785671B1 (en)* | 1999-12-08 | 2004-08-31 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | System and method for locating web-based product offerings |
| US6772150B1 (en)* | 1999-12-10 | 2004-08-03 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Search query refinement using related search phrases |
| US20010021921A1 (en)* | 2000-03-10 | 2001-09-13 | Masayuki Kan | Customer service method and system |
| US6865546B1 (en)* | 2000-04-19 | 2005-03-08 | Amazon.Com, Inc. | Methods and systems of assisting users in purchasing items |
| US20020052873A1 (en)* | 2000-07-21 | 2002-05-02 | Joaquin Delgado | System and method for obtaining user preferences and providing user recommendations for unseen physical and information goods and services |
| US20040143450A1 (en)* | 2000-08-14 | 2004-07-22 | Iproperty.Com., Inc. | Real estate transaction management system |
| US20020026386A1 (en)* | 2000-08-17 | 2002-02-28 | Walden John C. | Personalized storage folder & associated site-within-a-site web site |
| US20040039657A1 (en)* | 2000-09-01 | 2004-02-26 | Behrens Clifford A. | Automatic recommendation of products using latent semantic indexing of content |
| US20020055890A1 (en)* | 2000-09-14 | 2002-05-09 | Foley Thomas Aquinas | Recommendation information providing method, recommendation information transmission system, recommendation information transmission apparatus and computer memory product |
| US20020062268A1 (en)* | 2000-11-20 | 2002-05-23 | Motoi Sato | Scheme for presenting recommended items through network based on access log and user preference |
| US20020065877A1 (en)* | 2000-11-30 | 2002-05-30 | John Kowtko | Methods and systems for creating and sharing customized web sites and portals |
| US20020103692A1 (en)* | 2000-12-28 | 2002-08-01 | Rosenberg Sandra H. | Method and system for adaptive product recommendations based on multiple rating scales |
| US20020099629A1 (en)* | 2001-01-19 | 2002-07-25 | Motoi Sato | Scheme for presenting recommended items through network using client preference estimating factor information |
| US20020138331A1 (en)* | 2001-02-05 | 2002-09-26 | Hosea Devin F. | Method and system for web page personalization |
| US20020156686A1 (en)* | 2001-02-14 | 2002-10-24 | International Business Machines Corporation | System and method for automating association of retail items to support shopping proposals |
| US7346559B2 (en)* | 2001-02-14 | 2008-03-18 | International Business Machines Corporation | System and method for automating association of retail items to support shopping proposals |
| US20020147628A1 (en)* | 2001-02-16 | 2002-10-10 | Jeffrey Specter | Method and apparatus for generating recommendations for consumer preference items |
| US20020143660A1 (en)* | 2001-03-29 | 2002-10-03 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method and system for online shopping |
| US20030028427A1 (en)* | 2001-08-02 | 2003-02-06 | International Business Machines Corporation | User control of electronic personal information while browsing the Web |
| US20030051240A1 (en)* | 2001-09-10 | 2003-03-13 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Four-way recommendation method and system including collaborative filtering |
| US20030069740A1 (en)* | 2001-10-09 | 2003-04-10 | Zeidman Robert Marc | Apparatus and method for providing history data to sellers about internet auctions and marketplaces |
| US20030084450A1 (en)* | 2001-10-25 | 2003-05-01 | Thurston Nathaniel J. | Method and system for presenting personalized television program recommendation to viewers |
| US20030110056A1 (en)* | 2001-10-31 | 2003-06-12 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method for rating items within a recommendation system based on additional knowledge of item relationships |
| US20030093331A1 (en)* | 2001-11-13 | 2003-05-15 | International Business Machines Corporation | Internet strategic brand weighting factor |
| US20030093793A1 (en)* | 2001-11-13 | 2003-05-15 | Koninklijke Philips Electornics N.V. | Method and apparatus for recommending items of interest to a user based on recommendations for one or more third parties |
| US7272573B2 (en)* | 2001-11-13 | 2007-09-18 | International Business Machines Corporation | Internet strategic brand weighting factor |
| US20030131070A1 (en)* | 2002-01-10 | 2003-07-10 | International Business Machines Corporation | Customization of information from web sites |
| US20030145326A1 (en)* | 2002-01-31 | 2003-07-31 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Subscription to TV channels/shows based on recommendation generated by a TV recommender |
| US20030182249A1 (en)* | 2002-03-19 | 2003-09-25 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Method and apparatus for recommending an item of interest using a radial basis function to fuse a plurality of recommendation scores |
| US20040078214A1 (en)* | 2002-10-21 | 2004-04-22 | Speiser Leonard Robert | Product recommendation in a network-based commerce system |
| US20050038733A1 (en)* | 2003-07-21 | 2005-02-17 | Foster Benjamin David | Seller configurable merchandising in an electronic marketplace |
| US20050038717A1 (en)* | 2003-08-13 | 2005-02-17 | Mcqueen Clyde D. | Personalized selection and display of user-supplied content to enhance browsing of electronic catalogs |
| US20050055713A1 (en)* | 2003-09-09 | 2005-03-10 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Apparatus and method for sharing recommended programs using digital set-top boxes |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20040138962A1 (en)* | 1999-10-27 | 2004-07-15 | Ebay Inc. | Method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties |
| US20080255966A1 (en)* | 1999-10-27 | 2008-10-16 | Ebay | Method and Apparatus For Facilitating Sales of Goods By Independent Parties |
| US20110178898A1 (en)* | 1999-10-27 | 2011-07-21 | Ebay Inc. | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US8326697B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2012-12-04 | Ebay Inc. | Method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties |
| US8600826B2 (en) | 1999-10-27 | 2013-12-03 | Ebay Inc. | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good |
| US20090248447A1 (en)* | 2008-03-25 | 2009-10-01 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Report generation support system |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| US8600826B2 (en) | 2013-12-03 |
| US20140006213A1 (en) | 2014-01-02 |
| US7813967B2 (en) | 2010-10-12 |
| US20140006200A1 (en) | 2014-01-02 |
| US20070250407A1 (en) | 2007-10-25 |
| US20110178898A1 (en) | 2011-07-21 |
| US7370006B2 (en) | 2008-05-06 |
| US20140006211A1 (en) | 2014-01-02 |
| US20140006212A1 (en) | 2014-01-02 |
| US20080183489A1 (en) | 2008-07-31 |
| US20020049641A1 (en) | 2002-04-25 |
| US7983953B2 (en) | 2011-07-19 |
| US7953641B2 (en) | 2011-05-31 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US7983953B2 (en) | Method and apparatus for listing goods for sale | |
| US11270365B2 (en) | Apparatus, systems and methods for facilitating commerce | |
| US7373317B1 (en) | Method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties | |
| US5940806A (en) | Method and apparatus for receiving, storing and providing data corresponding to geometrically describable raw materials | |
| US20100293070A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for optimizing seller selection in a multi-seller environment | |
| KR20040101542A (en) | Wireless shopping system and method | |
| US20150066704A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for presenting information relating to a good | |
| KR100361228B1 (en) | Internet electronic commerce method using local information analysis program | |
| EP1199658A2 (en) | Market research system, merchandise information evaluation system and e-commerce system provided therewith | |
| KR20010094010A (en) | E-commerce with short message service of mobile station | |
| US20050141684A1 (en) | System and method for purchasing retail goods using a telephone | |
| KR100363285B1 (en) | The method of ordering merchandise by telephone | |
| KR20010078839A (en) | GSINET(Global Shoppingmall Integration Network Technology) | |
| JP2001344478A (en) | System and method for article purchase by internet shopping, broker server, and recording medium with recorded article purchase program | |
| WO2002019200A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for custom-made electrical commercial transaction | |
| US20030101212A1 (en) | Method for automatically completing an electronic form | |
| KR20070008123A (en) | Product Ordering System and Method Using Automatic Response System | |
| KR20020012364A (en) | Method for electronic commerce using voice web server | |
| KR20000037189A (en) | Method for providing trade service in computer network system and record medium thereof | |
| KR20020056786A (en) | System for electronic business using internet and ars and methods therefor | |
| JP2002123668A (en) | Sales system, server, and recording medium | |
| JP2002063396A (en) | System and method for mediation sale and recording medium with recorded program for mediation sale | |
| KR20050091316A (en) | Part marketing method | |
| JP2007026257A (en) | Exhibit information providing apparatus and program | |
| KR20010103383A (en) | Commercial transaction method using internet and system thereof |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FEPP | Fee payment procedure | Free format text:PAYOR NUMBER ASSIGNED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: ASPN); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY | |
| STCF | Information on status: patent grant | Free format text:PATENTED CASE | |
| CC | Certificate of correction | ||
| FPAY | Fee payment | Year of fee payment:4 | |
| AS | Assignment | Owner name:EBAY INC., CALIFORNIA Free format text:ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HALF.COM, INC.;REEL/FRAME:035015/0485 Effective date:20040430 | |
| MAFP | Maintenance fee payment | Free format text:PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 8TH YEAR, LARGE ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M1552); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY Year of fee payment:8 | |
| FEPP | Fee payment procedure | Free format text:MAINTENANCE FEE REMINDER MAILED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: REM.); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY | |
| LAPS | Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees | Free format text:PATENT EXPIRED FOR FAILURE TO PAY MAINTENANCE FEES (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: EXP.); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY | |
| STCH | Information on status: patent discontinuation | Free format text:PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362 | |
| FP | Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee | Effective date:20230719 |